The present invention relates to the field of tandem vehicle braking systems and, more particularly, to an improved brake pedal fastener adapted for use with a towed vehicle braking system.
When traveling by motor home, it is often desirable to tow a secondary vehicle behind the motor home. During such trips, it becomes necessary to brake the towed vehicle so as to avoid undue wear on the brakes of the motor home. Various methods of braking the towed vehicle in tandem with the motor home are well known in the art. A typical braking system is comprised of a pedal depressing apparatus that communicates with the towed vehicle""s onboard braking system. Such apparatus are generally further comprised of a telescoping shaft or rod that is mechanically or hydraulically actuated, or is spring-biased. The shaft is typically mounted between the towed vehicle brake pedal and the steering wheel or the seat of that towed vehicle. When the shaft is actuated, the towed vehicle brake pedal is depressed and the towed vehicle is slowed in relation to the towing vehicle (such as a motor home, truck or car).
Regardless of how it is actuated, the shaft of the pedal depressing apparatus must be interconnected to the brake pedal of the towed vehicle. Various mechanisms are known in the art to accomplish this task. Known devices exist, which securely grip a brake pedal, but these devices are not easily and quickly installed or removed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,321 to Harness discloses, among other things, a pedal-engaging clamp that is comprised of top and bottom clamp portions secured onto the brake pedal by bolts and wing nuts. The antiquated bolt and wing nut configuration of the Harness device precludes easy installation and removal. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,719 to Streutker discloses, among other things, a pedal clamp with a rigid plate having a pair of fingers that are spaced from the main body of the plate and a moveable plate that is rotatably tightened against the front of the brake pedal. Like the Harness device, the Streutker pedal clamp cannot be quickly installed or removed because the moveable plate must be screwed or unscrewed. Thus, there is a need for a brake pedal fastener that can be quickly and easily installed and removed.
Other brake fasteners are known, which can be more quickly installed than the Harness and Streutker devices. However, these fasteners are not easily separated from the brake system for maintenance purposes, nor are they universally adaptable for use with piston-type tandem brake systems. It would be advantageous to have an easily installable/removable brake pedal fastener that could be used with multiple tandem braking systems. Moreover, it is important for the pedal fastener to be modular so that it could be replaced or serviced.
Another problem exists with known brake pedal fasteners. Of those fasteners that may be quickly installed and removed, there are no known devices that grip the brake pedal by four or more surfaces and are easily and quickly adaptable for use with multiple sizes of brake pedals. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,797 to Springer discloses, among other things, a C-channel type brake pedal engaging member, which is retained by flanges around the sides of the pedal. Although Springer""s engaging member appears to be capable of gripping a brake pedal by four surfaces, it not adjustable to accept multiple sizes of brake pedals. Other known devices, like that disclosed by Streutker, grip the brake pedal at three or less surfaces of contact (e.g., the front, top and back of the pedal). Since the towed vehicle is typically unoccupied, it would be advantageous to ensure that brake fastening device grip as many surfaces as possible in order to ensure that the device does not become dislodged in transit. Thus, there is a need for a more secure brake fastener that can be easily adapted for use with multiple sizes of brake pedals.
To obtain a complete understanding of the aforementioned patents, reference should be made directly thereto.
The present invention is designed to overcome the aforementioned problems and meet the aforementioned, and other, needs. It is thus one aspect of the present invention to provide an expandable, brake pedal fastener that can be adapted for use with varying sizes of brake pedals and which typically will contact at least four surfaces of the brake pedal. Another aspect of this invention is to provide a brake fastener that can be easily adapted for use with a piston-type tandem braking system.
In one embodiment of the present invention, an improved brake pedal fastener adapted for use with a tandem braking system, is provided, comprising:
(a) a stationary plate having a front side and a rear side;
(b) a moveable plate having a front side and a rear side, wherein the rear side of the moveable plate is slidably interconnected to the front side of the stationary plate; and
(c) a coupling interconnected to the rear side of the stationary plate.
The present invention offers an alternative to traditional brake pedal engaging devices by offering an inexpensive, secure device. Now, an operator can more quickly and easily attach and remove a secure tandem braking system on a variety of brake pedals.